Maladera matrida

Taxobox
name = Maladera matrida


image_width = 240px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Coleoptera
superfamilia = Scarabaeoidea
familia = Scarabaeidae
genus = Maladera
species = "M. matrida"
binomial = "Maladera matrida"
binomial_authority =

"Maladera matrida" (or "Khomeini beetle") is a species of a beetle in the family Scarabaeidae.

Overview

Adults are active in the summer and in the spring, flying mostly in evening. Males can be seen flying in night searching for females. They are attracted to light.

Adults range in length from 7 to 9 mm, they color is brown-red.

They may cause damage to farmers: adults diet consists of leaves, buds and flowers of serval planets like, roses sweet potato and citrus trees.

The female lays between 60 to 100 eggs on the land in groups.

The larval forms of "M. matrida" live on the land. Their diet consists of roots and may cause a serious damage to crops like, sweet potato. Its scientific name reflects the nuisance it brings: "matrida" "מטרידה" means "annoying" in Hebrew. It has been so termed by Israeli researcher Argaman in 1986.

In Israel

This is a new species in Israel, probably by an Israeli who brought a plant upon his return from a family visit in Iran, shortly after the Islamic revolution in 1979. People nicknamed it "Khumeini" probably due to its brown color ("Khum" "חום" is brown in Hebrew), and after Ruhollah Khomeini. Biological pest control measures were employed to exterminate the bug. [Yossi Melman, [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/854188.html Peace on the wings of the fly] , Haaretz, May 02, 2007]

References

* [http://www.shats.com/AR/Previous/AvnerNovember2000.htm Animal Review - The sign of God]
* [http://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/~fndima/macro2/7614p15.html "Be fruitful and multiply"]